The glossy website boasts of the college's reputation as an "integral part" of the economic, industrial and cultural life of the west of Scotland with "rich opportunities" for study in a "unique and positive learning environment".

However, prospective students arriving at Glasgow's West George College to take advantage of "the best instructional technology and experiences" would have a rather different experience.

In reality, the college's so-called "campus" is located in a rather drab second-floor office in Glasgow's Sauchiehall Street, with three empty classrooms, an office for the principal and a small reception area. In one classroom, a yellow bucket has been strategically placed under a leak from the flat above.

In the reception area, four freestanding bookshelves containing Microsoft computer manuals, get-rich quick guides and English language books are located under a sign reading "Library". Lack of reading material is compensated for by another sign that reads "Free use of Glasgow University library".

However, those signs have now had to be taken down after Glasgow University wrote to the owners of West George College asking them to remove all the reference to them in promotional material.

The fact the college is also under investigation from the Institute of Administrative Management (IAM) for offering degree-level programmes which they had not been accredited for has made it a difficult start for them.

What has added to those difficulties is the fact West George College is run by the same company that operated Great Regent College from the same address.

Earlier this year, following an investigation by The Herald, Great Regent College was struck off an official government list allowing it to recruit overseas students.

The existence of a network of hundreds of unlicensed private colleges across the UK had already fuelled fears fake institutions were being used as a front for bringing illegal immigrants into the country under student visas in exchange for thousands of pounds. Those already in the country can stay for longer simply by "applying" to do another course.

Documents from Companies House show in September this year, shortly after being struck off, the company name of Great Regent College was changed to West George College. At the same time, the two previous owners stood down and two new directors were appointed.

One of these, Azeem Rahat Khan, said West George College was a legitimate operation with no connection to the previous college, other than the fact it was the same company. "We took over this company, but we are not the same, and we are a legitimate organisation trying to set up a proper college and putting in place everything we need to begin recruiting local students and overseas students in the future," he said.

"When I bought the company, I was not aware of the previous bad publicity surrounding Great Regent College. We accept we made innocent mistakes in terms of Glasgow University and the IAM, but those mistakes have now been rectified.

"We are not a bogus college and we are not selling visas." Nevertheless, the way the company behind the college has changed its name and is now reapplying for permission to recruit overseas students has set alarm bells ringing with the body that represents Scotland's publicly-funded colleges.

The Westminster government has pledged to crack down on bogus colleges with a series of measures which will ensure all private institutions are accredited and will track overseas students through the system but the Association of Scotland's Colleges (ASC) believes more needs to be done. The organisation says the use of the term "college" gives immediate legitimacy to private-learning providers, regardless of the quality of the education.

No such provider can use the term "university" in their title by law. The ASC now believes it is time for the Secretary of State for Scotland, who has the power to change the law in this area, to also protect the term "college".